Computer viruses can mean big headaches for your business, from hampering productivity to putting your customer’s financial data at risk. There are lots of ways to shore up your computers against viruses, and you don’t necessarily need a huge budget and lots of fancy products to accomplish this goal. In fact, some of the most effective measures are quite simple, so simple we easily overlook them.
Get the Right Antivirus Software
While the variety of anti-virus software programs all serve the same core purpose, they are not all the same. You don’t want to just get any program, you want the program that best fits your needs, which may be more or less comprehensive compared to another type of business.
For optimal protection against viruses, you have to carefully evaluate exactly what it is you are trying to protect. If you have a whole network and multiple terminals, that is very different than someone with one individual computer. Read up a bit on recommendations specifically for businesses, not just software in general.
Keep Everything Updated
If you are not keeping antivirus software and the myriad other programs you use for your business updated on a regular basis, you are not reaping the full benefits they are meant to offer. Bugs and vulnerabilities are always popping up, and the vendors are constantly tweaking the software to fight them, and you can only get the tweaked version if you are performing regular updates.
Take the Necessary Precautions to Protect Your Website
There are tools available that do a scan of your computer, and help you identify potential vulnerabilities, which may open the door for viruses and other problems. If you look up the term ‘penetration testing,’ you will be led to the proper products, which basically simulate an attack on your system, and notify you of problem areas.
Depending on the nature of your site, some of these issues are not really anything you have to worry about too much as the probability of these problems actually manifesting are minute; but then there will probably be a few with the potential to turn into a big issue, and you can work on taking steps to address these particular vulnerabilities.
If you are using WordPress on your site for example, make sure you use the appropriate coding or plug-ins to maximize protection.
Educate Employees
Much of your success in protecting your business computers from viruses will hinge on your employees. So, educating them about the best practices to keep your network safe is a worthy endeavor. Set up a policy regarding the creation of complex passwords, and make sure they adhere to it. Write up a policy about use of the internet on work computers, such as avoiding certain types of sites; instruct them on what types of emails should not be opened. Make sure they have a full understanding of why this is so important, and the problems that may arise from not adhering to these practices.
